Slicing machine having a sand blasted gauge plate



Aug. 3, 1954 T. w. WINBERG 2,685,315

SLICING MACHINE HAVING A SAND BLASTED GAUGE PLATE Filed Jan. 51, 1952 3nventor TRAV/S W W/NBE'RG WW attorney? lafl l Patented Aug. 3, 1954 UNITED TENT OFFICE SLICING MACHINE HAVING A SAND BLASTED GAUGE PLATE tion of New Jersey Application January 31, 1952, Serial No. 269,183

3 Claims.

This invention relates to slicing machines, and particularly to improved means for preventing adhesion of a substance being sliced to a gauge plate or knife guard plate.

It is a principal object of this invention to reduce to a minimum the adhesion between a substance to be sliced and those parts of a slicing machine against which the sliced end of the substance rests.

Another object is to decrease the area of contact between a substance to be sliced and a gauge plate and guard plate, thereby decreasing the resistance between the contacting surfaces as the substance is being sliced.

Another object is to provide raised ribs on the gauge plate and guard plate by means of shotblasting or sandblasting portions of their faces.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, in which reference is had to the accompanying drawing.

According to the invention, a gauge plate and a knife guard plate are each provided with a series of parallel shotblasting or sandblasting stripes extending horizontally across their faces. The stripes are in effect a series of rough ribs raised above the surface of the faces of the gauge plate and guard plate. Because the ribs are rough, air can flow through the interstices between the ribs and the substances being sliced, thus counteracting the atmospheric pressure which otherwise would press the substance against the gauge plate and guard plate. The ribs also hold the substance away from the smooth portions of the plates surfaces that lie between the ribs. This minimizes the area of contact between the substance to be sliced and the plates, and further provides air passages through the spaces between the ribs, resulting in a freer movement of the substance across the gaug plate and guard plate as it is being sliced.

In the drawing:

Figure I is a view in elevation of a slicin machine embodying the invention.

Figure II is a greatly enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the knife guard plate taken substantially along the line IIII of Figure I, and is typical also of a cross-section of the gauge plate.

The slicing machine in the preferred embodiment of the invention consists of a housing I in which is mounted a motor (not shown) to drive a circular rotary slicing knife 2 which lies in a plane inclined to the housing I. A commodity carriage 3 reciprocates along a track 4 to carry a substance held in a V-shaped trough or sub- 2 stance support 5 (shown in dotted lines) past the cutting edge of the knife 2. The substance support 5 is inclined to the housing to feed the substance to be sliced toward the knife in a direction generally perpendicular to the knife.

A removable knife guard plate 5 overlies the face of the knife 2, and surrounds all but that small exposed portion of the knife edge past which the carriage t and the support 5 reciprocate. Adjustably mounted adjacent the exposed cutting edge of the knife 2 is a gauge plate 1 which lies in a plane parallel with the guard plate along the path of movement of the carriage. The gauge plate '5 can be moved laterally from the plane of the knife by rotation of a gauge plate adjusting knob 8 operably connected thereto.

A series of parallel horizontal spaced-apart stripes are shotblasted or sandblasted on the faces of each the gauge plate and guard plate, causing said stripes to become a plurality of ribs 9 raised a few thousandths of an inch above the plates. (See Figure II.) The faces of the plates 6 and I consequently are formed of a series of alternately raised ribs 9 and unraised portions It. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the gauge and guard plates are made of a more or less ductile metal, such for example as aluminum. This is preferable so that the particle-blasting with shot or sand will raise surfaces to the maximum extent above the faces of the plates. The particle-blasting has the same general effect that peening with a hammer has, i. e., metal is displaced sidewise and upwardly to form minute craters and peaks and ridges which constitute the raised ribs.

As a substance, such as meat, is placed in the substance support 5, its end which is to be sliced rests against the plates 5 and 1. After a slice or two has been cut off, the end slides over the peaks and ridges of the particle-blasted ribs 9. The absence of vacuum effect prevents excessive resistance between the plates and the substance, thereby allowin easy passage of the substance being sliced over the plates.

The embodiment of my invention herein shown and described is to be regarded as illustrative only and it is to be understood that the invention is susceptible to variation, modification, and change within the spirit and scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. In a commodity slicer having a knife past which a substance being sliced is reciprocated, in combination, a guard plate overlying the knife but exposing the cutting edge thereof, a gauge plate lying in a plane generally parallel to the plane of the guard plate and having an edge thereof in juxtaposition with the cutting edge of the knife, said guard and gauge plates being adapted to support a substance being sliced as it is reciprocated past the cutting edge of the knife, and a plurality of parallel spaced apart raised rough-surfaced to the touch ribs on the face of at least one of the plates, said ribs extending in the direction in which the substance is reciprooated as it is sliced and being so spaced as to present alternate raised and unraised portions on the face of the plates to minimize resistance between the plates and substance during slicing.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1 in which the ribs are comprised of a plurality of minute hills and valleys.

3. In a commodity slicing machine having a rotary circular knife past the cutting edge of which a substance is reciprocated as it is sliced, in combination, a guard plate overlying the face of the knife but exposing a portion of the cut ting edge thereof, a gauge plate lying in a plane generally parallel to the plane of the guard plate and having an edge thereof in juxtaposition with the exposed cutting edge of the knife, and a plurality of spaced apart raised rough-surfaced to the touch ribs on the faces of the gauge and guard plates, said ribs being parallel and all extending in the direction in which the substance is reciprocated during slicing, said ribs being adapted to support the substance abov the plates during slicing so as to reduce resistance to sliding movement between the plates and the substance.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 254,199 Cosgrove Feb. 28, 1882 1,743,623 Ross Jan. 14, 1930 2,065,129 Folk Dec. 22, 1936 2,167,015 Waage July 25, 1939 2,338,139 Slayton Jan. 4, 1944 2,563,120 Klingans Aug. 7, 1951 2,573,630 Van Duyn Oct. 30, 1951 

